{"id":6285,"date":"2010-05-07T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2010-05-07T16:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone.html"},"modified":"2017-11-28T14:46:33","modified_gmt":"2017-11-28T19:46:33","slug":"green-tea-chocolate-anyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Tea & Chocolate anyone?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have good news for all you green tea drinkers and chocolate lovers! Your palate cravings could keep your heart and brain healthy!<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
Recent studies, reported in the vital choice newsletter, confirms that green tea and dark chocolate provide protective affects against damage from strokes and promote heart health. In one study, the flavonol antioxidant, epicatechin, was found to be protective in mice with induced brain ischemia (lack of blood supply) vs. mice who had not received the treatment. It seems that this important flavonol protects nerve cells from damage from cellular stress. The researchers found that the optimal timing for dosing was less than 3 hours after the stroke. Epidemiological studies further confirmed a link between chocolate consumption and decreased risk of stroke.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The following excerpt from the article explains the effect:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
Lead author Sylvain Dor\u00e9, Ph.D., says that epicatechin stimulates two previously well-established pathways known to shield nerve cells in the brain from damage.<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
When the stroke hits, the brain is ready to protect itself because these pathways – called Nrf2 and heme oxygenase 1 – are activated.<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
As further proof that these are the pathways thought which it protects brain cells, epicatechin had no significant protective effect in mice that lacked them.<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Eventually, Dor\u00e9 said, his research could lead to insights into limiting acute stroke damage and possibly protecting against chronic neurological degenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related cognitive disorders.<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
And Dor\u00e9 says the amount of epicatechin needed could be quite small, because the suspected beneficial mechanism is indirect:<\/i><\/div>\n
“Epicatechin itself may not be shielding brain cells from free radical damage directly, but instead, epicatechin, and its metabolites, may be prompting the cells to defend themselves.” (AAN 2010)<\/i><\/div>\n

<\/i><\/div>\n
Now, don’t take this blog to be an excuse for a free for all with hershey kisses and dove bars.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
Not all dark chocolates are created equally, cautioned Dr. Dore:<\/i><\/div>\n
“The epicatechin found in dark chocolate is extremely sensitive to changes in heat and light. In the process of making chocolate, you have to make sure you don’t destroy it. Only few chocolates have the active ingredient. The fact that it says ‘dark chocolate’ is not sufficient.” (AAN 2010)<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
Manfacturing processes called, Dutching”, destroys most of cocoa’s epicatechin … The article states,<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Dark chocolate – defined as containing 60 percent or more cocoa solids – has twice the antioxidant capacity of milk chocolate.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
And dark chocolate made from non-Dutched cocoa has more than twice the antioxidant capacity of dark chocolate made from Dutched cocoa.<\/div>\n

<\/i><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Other Sources:<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
http:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2010\/05\/100505163242.htm<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Straight to the Research:<\/div>\n
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism advance online publication 5 May 2010;\tdoi: 10.1038\/jcbfm.2010.53<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/i><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have good news for all you green tea drinkers and chocolate lovers! Your palate cravings could keep your heart and brain healthy!Recent studies, reported in the vital choice newsletter, confirms that green tea and dark chocolate provide protective affects against damage from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[110,143,175,223,268,361,425,475,565,641,766,865,869,890,1146,1226],"class_list":["post-6285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-in-the-news","tag-brain","tag-cardiovascular","tag-chocolate","tag-dementia","tag-ecgc","tag-flavonols","tag-functional-medicine-and-saratoga-springs-ny","tag-green-tea","tag-holistic-doctor-and-albany-ny","tag-integrative-doctor-and-ballston-spa-ny","tag-mind-body-medicine-and-ny","tag-naturopathic-doctor-and-albany-ny","tag-naturopathic-doctor-and-ballston-spa-ny","tag-naturopathic-doctor-and-saratoga-springs-ny","tag-stroke","tag-weight-loss"],"yoast_head":"\r\nGreen Tea & Chocolate anyone? - Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Green Tea & Chocolate anyone? - Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I have good news for all you green tea drinkers and chocolate lovers! Your palate cravings could keep your heart and brain healthy!Recent studies, reported in the vital choice newsletter, confirms that green tea and dark chocolate provide protective affects against damage from...\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2010-05-07T16:15:00+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-11-28T19:46:33+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr. Sarah\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dr. Sarah\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/\",\"name\":\"Green Tea & Chocolate anyone? - Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2010-05-07T16:15:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-11-28T19:46:33+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#\/schema\/person\/6872284eed515076e2993a69584827e3\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Green Tea & Chocolate anyone?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/\",\"name\":\"Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#\/schema\/person\/6872284eed515076e2993a69584827e3\",\"name\":\"Dr. Sarah\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b37e59a320fe3e87499bec9e197eda9c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b37e59a320fe3e87499bec9e197eda9c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Dr. Sarah\"},\"description\":\"Dr. LoBisco has been in holistic healthcare for over 10 years. She became interested in holistic medicine when she was able to heal two herniated discs through nutrition, yoga, supplementation, and chiropractic. She has mentored with holistic practices throughout New York, Vermont, and Connecticut. In addition to her Naturopathic and Functional Medical training, Dr. LoBisco has extensive training in a variety of healing modalities, including therapeutic essential oils, nutraceuticals, herbs, whole food supplements, nutritional medicine, and mind-body therapies. She is a graduate of the accredited, four year post-graduate program in Naturopathic Medicine at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. This program includes clinical rotations and a demanding scientific curriculum in integrating conventional and natural medicine. Dr. LoBisco holds her license from the state of Vermont. Dr. LoBisco has completed her postdoctoral training as a certified functional medicine practitioner. She is also certified in Applied Kinesiology and holds a BA in psychology from SUNY Geneseo. She has contributed as an item writer for the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE) and has several articles that have been published in the Naturopathic Doctor News and Review Digest (NDNR) and the Townsend Letter, both physician- based journals. Dr. LoBisco is also a hired speaker on integrative medical topics for medical professionals. Dr. LoBisco currently incorporates her training in holistic medical practices and conventional medicine through writing, researching, private practice, and through her independent contracting work for companies regarding supplements, nutraceuticals, essential oils, and medical foods. She has a small, private wellness consultation practice through telephone and Skype. Dr. LoBisco also enjoys continuing to educate and empower her readers through her blogs and social media. Her new book, BreakFree Medicine, is now available on Amazon and through Barnes & Noble.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/author\/slobisco\/\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Green Tea & Chocolate anyone? - Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Green Tea & Chocolate anyone? - Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog","og_description":"I have good news for all you green tea drinkers and chocolate lovers! Your palate cravings could keep your heart and brain healthy!Recent studies, reported in the vital choice newsletter, confirms that green tea and dark chocolate provide protective affects against damage from...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/","og_site_name":"Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog","article_published_time":"2010-05-07T16:15:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-11-28T19:46:33+00:00","author":"Dr. Sarah","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dr. Sarah","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/","url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/","name":"Green Tea & Chocolate anyone? - Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#website"},"datePublished":"2010-05-07T16:15:00+00:00","dateModified":"2017-11-28T19:46:33+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#\/schema\/person\/6872284eed515076e2993a69584827e3"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/2010\/05\/green-tea-chocolate-anyone\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Green Tea & Chocolate anyone?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/","name":"Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#\/schema\/person\/6872284eed515076e2993a69584827e3","name":"Dr. Sarah","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b37e59a320fe3e87499bec9e197eda9c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b37e59a320fe3e87499bec9e197eda9c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Dr. Sarah"},"description":"Dr. LoBisco has been in holistic healthcare for over 10 years. She became interested in holistic medicine when she was able to heal two herniated discs through nutrition, yoga, supplementation, and chiropractic. She has mentored with holistic practices throughout New York, Vermont, and Connecticut. In addition to her Naturopathic and Functional Medical training, Dr. LoBisco has extensive training in a variety of healing modalities, including therapeutic essential oils, nutraceuticals, herbs, whole food supplements, nutritional medicine, and mind-body therapies. She is a graduate of the accredited, four year post-graduate program in Naturopathic Medicine at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. This program includes clinical rotations and a demanding scientific curriculum in integrating conventional and natural medicine. Dr. LoBisco holds her license from the state of Vermont. Dr. LoBisco has completed her postdoctoral training as a certified functional medicine practitioner. She is also certified in Applied Kinesiology and holds a BA in psychology from SUNY Geneseo. She has contributed as an item writer for the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE) and has several articles that have been published in the Naturopathic Doctor News and Review Digest (NDNR) and the Townsend Letter, both physician- based journals. Dr. LoBisco is also a hired speaker on integrative medical topics for medical professionals. Dr. LoBisco currently incorporates her training in holistic medical practices and conventional medicine through writing, researching, private practice, and through her independent contracting work for companies regarding supplements, nutraceuticals, essential oils, and medical foods. She has a small, private wellness consultation practice through telephone and Skype. Dr. LoBisco also enjoys continuing to educate and empower her readers through her blogs and social media. Her new book, BreakFree Medicine, is now available on Amazon and through Barnes & Noble.","url":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/author\/slobisco\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6285"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6285"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27918,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6285\/revisions\/27918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/living-well\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}